Learning About Diagnosing Common Health Problems

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4 Avoidable Habits That Could Be Ruining Your Teeth

Posted on:
20 August 2015

Caring for your teeth can sometimes be tricky. Even if you brush and floss several times a day, little habits may be inadvertently sabotaging your quest for perfect teeth. Here are a couple of habits that you should change to protect your oral health:

Drinking Sodas

Most people are aware that the sugar in carbonated soft drinks is bad for your teeth. It feeds the oral bacteria in your mouth and promotes the development of plaque.

However, you may not know that even sugar-free sodas can wreak havoc on your tooth enamel. When you drink soda, you expose your teeth to large amounts of acid. This is especially true if you habitually sip on a carbonated drink throughout the day. The acid dissolves the minerals in your tooth enamel and makes your teeth more susceptible to decay.

Biting on Your Pens

Some people bite on the end of their pen or pencil when they are in deep thought. The habit seems harmless enough. After all, there is no sugar in a pencil. Nevertheless, the pressure that you place on your teeth as you crunch down on a pencil can be enough to crack your teeth. In some cases, the constant bite pressure can even cause teeth to shift.

Using Sugared Gum to Freshen Your Breath

If you quickly pop a stick of gum in your mouth just before you introduce yourself or sit down for a close conversation, make sure that the gum is sugarless. Sugared gum releases simple carbohydrates that oral bacteria love to eat. As the bacteria feed, they digest their food through a process called glycolysis. One of the byproducts of this digestive process is acid, which erodes your tooth enamel and causes cavities.

Snacking Before Bedtime

If you habitually end your evening with a bedtime snack, you may be curing your "munchies," but your teeth could be suffering. Your body produces less saliva when you sleep, which results in a type of sleep-induced "dry mouth." Thus, if you go to bed right after eating, the plaque and bacteria that are still in your mouth have little saliva to help wash them away. If they are allowed to sit on your teeth overnight, they can damage your tooth enamel.

If you are brushing and flossing regularly, be careful not to jeopardize your oral health with bad habits. In addition, see your dentist regularly. If you have not had a routine dental checkup within the past six months, schedule one today.